


Blurry Signs

by IvaWrote



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Temporary Leader!Ryuji
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-26
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-10-24 10:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10740249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IvaWrote/pseuds/IvaWrote
Summary: Akira’s eyesight has always been a little blurry when he gets tired. One day, it results in him taking the wrong line home. That ends up being a mistake.





	Blurry Signs

Sojiro Sakura wasn’t used to keeping phone numbers on hand. Especially not of men – so it slipped his mind to keep Akira’s phone number in his contacts. That’s why he picks up the phone with no little bit of irritation to snap into the receiver.

“Yeah? What do you want?” He asked irritably, keeping an eye on the local news. Another crash on the JPL. The voice is female, and she sounds close to tears.

“A-are you Sojiro Sakura?” He can hear the sounds of the railway in the background, when the first prickle of unease shoots up his spine. “The station… I’m sorry sir, but Akira… The doctors had to take him away… he was up front.”

Futaba yelps slightly when her uncle straightens up, her face falling into the pillows of the couch as her uncle immediately bolts straight upwards.

“What do you mean that boy was on the train?” He demands. Futaba’s head shoots up, and she gapes at him, her mind whirring. He’d been taking the day off to spend with her, so he hadn’t seen Akira this morning when he’d left for school, and given the time, he should have been home by now.

“I’m a classmate,” The girl’s babbling, and Sojiro has to gently calm her down. “I found his phone on the ground and we’re on the way to the hospital – I knew he didn’t take the same line and he didn’t even realize he was on the wrong train he was so tired-looking today and –” The girl hiccups. “If it wasn’t for him pushing me down, I would be dead.”

“Look, it’s going to be okay.” The irony of having to comfort another strange person was not lost on him. “Do you know where they’re taking him?” Silence, and finally, the girl speaks – not to him, by the distinct faded quality – but to whoever is transporting them.

There’s a surge of relief in that – that whoever this girl is, she’s by his side, comforting him. She might be that Ann girl, or perhaps that new one… Makoto. Though her voice didn’t sound like either of them.

“We’re heading to Yongen General Hospital… He’s not in critical condition and the university hospital is too full.” The way she said _critical_ made it clear she disagreed with them. He grabs a jacket, and tugs one onto Futaba, who is furiously texting – probably messaging all of her friends.

“Thank you miss…” The woman on the other end of the phone sobs, and her answer is lost in the rush to drive to the hospital.

* * *

The Phantom Thieves tumble together in the hallway of the hospital. It’s rare that they’re in their best gear, but even Ryuji has dusted a rather somber looking black t-shirt off, and they all look presentable. There’s a moment of confusion when everyone realizes that Ryuji’s actually the tallest out of them, and they elect him to talk to the nurse up front.

“Hey, ma'am?” The nurse gives them all a once-over, before summarily dismissing them with a flick of her eyes.

“Yeah?” Her rude demeanor instantly irritates them all, but Ryuji grits his teeth. _C’mon Ryuji, keep it together_.

“We’re here for a friend’a ours who was caught up in the train crash.” Her demeanor softens almost instantly, and she looks them over – judges correctly that they think the worst has happened, and she puts down her magazine, looks at them with sympathy. 

“What’s his name?” She already has her keys poised to type, looking attentive.

“Kurusu Akira.” The woman pauses, and a peculiar expression crosses her face. It takes her a moment, before she finds the correct person. “Okay, here he is… Head doctor is…” She squints, leaning in to double check, before releasing an amazed breath. “Well I’ll be. Head doctor is Tae Takemi. He’s in room 134,” She says finally, before glancing over to them. “Good luck you guys.” She sounds sympathetic, and Ryuji stiffly thanks her, the team tumbling up the stairs. The hall is quiet, and everyone can see Sojiro and Futaba sitting in chairs, chatting to-

“Haru!” They burst out, Makoto first running towards her friend and wrapping her in a hug. Makoto had been on the chat earlier, and she’d brought up the fact that Haru took that line home, and it had come to everyone’s attention that she could have been injured. They hadn’t realized that Akira could have ended up on the _same_ train. She allows her friend to hug her, and a little bag pops open, revealing a disgruntled but oddly quiet Morgana. Ryuji takes a quick look around, and sighs.

“I’mma take the cat out.” Nobody protests, though it’s Makoto who eyes him, the boy’s fingers gently wrapping around the middle of his stomach and hauling the cat onto a shoulder. Morgana gives a disgruntled mutter, and he walks down the hall. Nobody glances his way, and Ryuji’s quick to drop Morgana next to his feet when they’re outside, his foot closing the side door as he pushes it. Cigarette butts line the otherwise pristine alleyway, and Ryuji takes a seat next to their – once – missing teammate. Morgana doesn’t have anything smartass to say for once, his tail hanging low and ears pressed flat against his head. It takes Ryuji a moment, but he carefully puts his hand on Morgana’s head, gently rubbing it.

“It ain’t your fault.” He says that with absolute certainty, and Morgana, who’d been relaxing under his fingers, immediately tenses up. _Ah shit. What’d ‘kira say about this? Oh, right._ He presses his thumb against the base of a shoulder, and Morgana melts, an irritable grumble leaving him.

“If I’d of been there, I could have stopped him from getting hurt.” The mumble is small, and Ryuji fumbles for something to say.

“Bullshit.” He says finally. “You have any idea how bad a crash like that woulda been to a cat body like you? You’d be dead, and then what would happen to our resident expert?” Morgana’s tail, still flat, lifts up, and uncanny blue stares at him.

“Expert?” He says warily, hardly daring to hope. Ryuji scrubs at his hair with frustration. “Ryuji, you don’t…”

“Look, I ain’t repeating it again,” He bites out, flustered. “I get enough shit from you guys that I got frustrated okay?” Silence reigns, and Morgana, now properly looking at him, leaps over his leg to sit in front of him.

“That’s not an apology,” Morgana said dryly, but his tail smacks into Ryuji’s calf, but the cat’s smiling. “But I’ll take it as one, now that you’ve acknowledged my _superior_ Phantom Thief skills. Maybe if you ask, I’ll teach you all about pawning all of our stuff off.” Ryuji squints, before looking away.

“Yeah yeah. Maniac.”

The silence is peaceful, before Ryuji looks down again.

“Did you just make a pun?” Morgana licks his paw, and the grin he gives is nothing short of mysterious.

“Only a thief could tell if I did or didn’t.” He says smugly, feeling Ryuji roll his eyes, the blond picking him up to let him ride on a shoulder.

“‘M sorry anyways,” It’s the best apology that he’s going to get, Morgana thinks, and he makes sure to rub up against him. He owed Ryuji a talk after this.

When they return, everyone’s standing a little awkwardly, low murmurs stopping.

“What’s wrong?” Ryuji’s instantly on alert. A quiet cough, and Sojiro looks away.

“It’s Akira. We went in and…” A hand rubs the back of his head. The silence stretches painfully, until finally, Makoto blows out a breath.

“Akira’s… he’s not responding. He’s in a coma Ryuji.”


End file.
